United Russia says disabled orphans should be cared for in RF, not elsewhere

December 29, 2012, 14:19 UTC+3Earlier, UR deputy initiated to submit an amendment to the law in retaliation to the U.S. Magnitsky Act that will allow U.S citizens to adopt Russian children with disabilities

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MOSCOW, December 29 (Itar-Tass) — Before making new decisions on orphans, including orphans with disabilities, it is necessary to check effectiveness of work in compliance with the president’s order on support of that category of children under legal age, Deputy Mikhail Terentyev said on Saturday.

The deputy suggested introducing supportive measures for families which adopt a disabled child. For example, he said, the money “the government allocates for orphans staying at orphanages” in case a child has a new family “should be allocated for support of that family.”

“I believe, this way we may redirect the budget money, and it would be a most effective way of fighting the bad conditions of disabled orphans in Russia’s some orphanages,” he said.

Terentyev reiterated violation of the Russian children’s rights in the US. “Let us make it so that we could protect those rights and not to let people go elsewhere.”

Speaking about adoption of Russian disabled children by Americans, the deputy stressed it had been required back in the 1990s, where the government paid less attention to the problem. “Presently, the Paralympic sports are developing. Should Russia provide conditions inside the country, we shall be able to attract children with disabilities to the Paralympic team.” He expressed hope that the power’s activities “will favour improvement of orphanages and of the adoption system.”

Earlier, parliamentarian from the ruling party United Russia Robert Shlegel initiated to submit an amendment to the law in retaliation to the U.S. Magnitsky Act that will allow U.S. citizens to adopt Russian children with disabilities.

The text of his initiative was placed on the State Duma’s website on Friday.

“Disabled orphaned children are one of the most vulnerable social groups,” he said adding that around 45,000 disabled children remain in Russia’s orphan houses. “The total ban on adoptions of Russian children by U.S. citizens mean that some disabled children, possibly, will be unable to find an adoptive family and to get necessary medical support,” he said.

The parliamentarian noted that in 2011 American families adopted 44 children with disabilities from Russia.

“At present, necessary procedures on adoptions of another 46 children have been underway, but this ban will deprive them of the chance to get a family,” Shlegel said.

On Friday President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning Americans to adopt Russian children and imposing other sanctions, including visa and financial restrictions on Americans accused of violating the rights of Russians abroad and a temporary ban on some non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. funding.